Village Books in Roslindale to close

June 14, 2011|By Kim Foley MacKinnon, Town Correspondent, Globe Staff

By Kim Foley MacKinnon, Town Correspondent

Jane Connelly, one of the two sisters who own Village Books in Roslindale Village, wasn’t sure she wanted to talk about the decision to close the store after six years in business.

“I’m so emotional,” said Connelly. “People have been coming in [after hearing the news]. They’ve become friends. It’s so hard.”

Connelly said that customers’ book-buying habits, combined with an especially brutal winter, convinced her and her sister, Lorie Spencer, to close up shop. Connelly said that she thinks that there’s too much online competition for brick-and-mortar bookstores to compete.

“We have just tried so hard,” said Connelly. “We can’t pay the bills anymore. This is a business, not a hobby.”

Luigi Petruzziello, who owns the building where the store is located and has a law firm adjacent to the bookstore, said he is sad to see them go, but understands the reason.

“They were a great business and part of the fabric of Roslindale Village,” he said. “I hope to fill the space with similar tenants who are as dedicated to the community as they are.”

The sisters want to have their entire inventory sold by August. Connelly, who lives in Scituate, said one thing she won’t miss is the commute. She is the primary face of the store as Spencer also has a full-time job.

With the departure of Village Books, Roslindale Village is once again without a bookstore. At one time, there were three within blocks of each other.

A number of local independent bookstores have closed or announced they were for sale in recent months. New England Mobile Book Store in Newton is up for sale. And earlier this month, the Globe Corner Bookstore announced it was closing.